


The Valiant Company - Part 4B

by Evagorn



Series: The Valiant Company [5]
Category: HEARTBEAT (Video Game)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-19
Updated: 2019-12-19
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:40:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21862357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Evagorn/pseuds/Evagorn
Summary: The heroes descend into the Goblins' cave and face their leader, as well as learn dark portents.Is there anything to hold onto when the whole world burns?
Series: The Valiant Company [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1526087





	The Valiant Company - Part 4B

Our heroes resume their fight at the mouth of the Goblins’ cave. After a short consultation, they decide on their plan of attack: Chi will initiate the confrontation with an attempt at diplomacy, but should this fail, Orville will roll Levi down for a surprise attack. And so, joined by Lucius and Lux, the heroes descend into the darkness.

Chi is confronted almost immediately by Goblin guards who give her very little credence before attacking. Levi rolls into the scene, failing to knock over anyone, but still getting into a better position to attack. A fierce battle rages in the corridor, with the Goblins scoring several vicious cuts on the heroes. But ultimately the battle is won in favor of the Company, with two of the Goblins taken into custody.

The heroes pursue the course deeper into the cave and come across another chamber in which they hear the enemy. They manage to check them somewhat unaware, and another altercation ensues. Orville, their newest ally, is nearly skewered by the Goblins, but with some timely aid from Lux the heroes manages to pull him from the brink. The Goblins are soon defeated - thanks to some disarming done by Chi - and two more are tied up. One of which is left to stew (quite literally!) over his action.

With the cave seemingly cleared and with a moment to consider their options, the heroes do a thorough search of their environs. Thanks to Orville’s intimate knowledge of excavation, they are able to locate two storage chambers. One contains a forge and materials used to craft weapons and armaments. The other contains finished weapons, shields, as well as food stuffs. Though most is spoiled, there is enough useful material to be salvaged on behalf of the Valiant Company. The heroes do what they can do secure the arms for later, then head ever deeper in search of the Goblin leader...

Down into the depths the descend, and find the leader in question: King Rax. He lords over them as they appear, and spares not a moment to listen to their pleas for diplomacy, instead setting his soldiers against them without hesitation.

The battle is ferocious. King Rax leaps repeatedly into the earth before springing out for a sneak attack. Meanwhile, his guards stand ready to exploit the heroes’ every weakness and punish their counterattacks. But with persistence and a bit of strategy, the heroes ultimately prevail, knocking the King unconscious and bringing him together with the other Goblins they defeated.

Back in the storage room, the heroes give King Rax another chance to confess his wrongdoing and seek to repair the harm he has caused. But even Elouan, their negotiator, is unable to win over the Goblin ruler. Rax states that he sees only a cataclysmic end to this war, and that he is content to tear what scraps from this world he can before it inevitably burns. And if he must burn with it, so be it. Unable to persuade the King at all, Chi takes him aside to end his life once and for all.

In the forging chamber, Chi gives him the chance to make one final declaration. With his final words, Rax tells her to ask the Fairy, Lucius, what his kinsfolk hide within their forests. With that enigmatic warning given, he falls silent, and Chi snaps his neck.

The deed done, she returns to her comrades in the storage room. There, Elouan has managed to persuade the remaining Goblins that a better path may lie before them if they join the Valiant Company and seek a peaceful future. With their entourage expanded, the team returns to Sunwich to report the good news. Fi is naturally a bit overwhelmed at the sight of so many Goblins brought back to town, but is still relieved to know their threat has been neutralized.

Meanwhile, Elouan and Chi return to the Bees to inform them what has happened. While Bebzy is glad to know she and her people will be able to return to their former territory, she does not acquiesce to the heroes’ suggestion of an alliance with the Humans. She opines that Humanity is a transient thing, as the grass, and that to form long term bonds with them can only lead to inevitable disappointment and loss. The heroes have no reasonable arguments against this, and are compelled to let the Bees go their way.

Once Elouan and Chi have rejoined their comrades in Sunwich, Yurius is called, and soon the party is able to return home to Pawstantinople with their spoils. A meeting is called with Alphonso and Vivian, where the details of their escapades are recounted. The leaders of Pawstantinople are obviously rejoiced to hear of the heroes’ success, and plans are made for their next mission. Two choices are presented to them: Mt. Phrost, which remains in a state of turmoil, and Harbei, which has recently come under new leadership as it rebuilds after a devastating Mogwai attack. The team decides on Mt. Phrost, which has waited for aid long enough.

Thorn also asks if any more word has been brought in about Grok, their friend who fled the town after the Battle of Pawstantinople. Alphonso explains that Grok was spotted out in the woods by a Dryad scout named Grace. The Troll was in terrible spirits, as might be imagined, and the heroes resolve to seek him out before departing for My. Phrost.

After the meeting, they each go their own way to rest after the mission. A few take a moment to confer with their allies. Thorn speaks with Blanca, who tells him she is doing well, and looks forward to Thorn’s aid with the newcomers. Beat speaks with Crystal, who tells him that she is in brighter spirits after spending some time with Paimon while the heroes were away. She thanks Beat for the fish he gave her earlier, and also tells Beat to pass on a word of thanks to Thorn for his kind gestures.

At the same time, Levi, Orville, Chi, and Lux convene in Levi’s room for a brief discussion. Levi asks Lux if she is reincarnated from a Human. Lux answers plainly that she is not, which seems to disappoint Levi, who mutters something about Lux being “like her”. Chi expresses her own surprise that Levi should know of such things, but Levi does not elaborate further on the matter. Lux then joins Chi in her own room, where Chi briefly relates what King Rax said. Chi implies to Lux that the Fairy’s may desire to perpetuate a continual war, which Lux seems to see as a dubious prospect. Nevertheless, Lux promises to be wary of Lucius, and consult him on the matter at the next opportunity.

With the mission concluded and the heroes returning to rest, a new task lies before them...

* * *

“On my count. One, two, three!”

With a mighty heave, the gathered Humans hoisted the beam into place, completing the framework for what will ultimately be their townhall. They each looked with their own sense of pride and accomplishment at their work, wiping sweat from brows and even giving a tired cheer.

The foreman in charge of this little reconstruction project merely smiled. It hadn’t been easy to get things back together. Fear of further attacks loomed over the people like a cloud, but he had assured them that he wouldn’t allow such a thing to happen again. In fact, they already had at least one sign of good will alongside them now.

The Mogwai called Ahab stroked his beard as he admired the work. “Well done, Humans. I have to say, I’m sorry I doubted you. You’ve proved yourselves more resourceful than I’d expected.”

“Them tentacles of yours came in handy, too,” a man pointed out.

Ahab merely smirked. “I am a Kraken, after all. I ought to be able to put my talents to use.”

“Ondo!”

The foreman turned as his name was called. “What now?”

A runner came up panting, and after catching their breath gave a breathless report. “Sir, someone’s been found at the edge of town. She’s asking, well, she’s asking for asylum, I guess.”

Ondo frowned. “Asylum? The hell does that mean?”

“Let us go see the poor creature,” Ahab suggested. “Perhaps seeing for ourselves will make matters clear.”

Ondo and Ahab made their way to the edge of town, where a small crowd had already gathered. “Alright, make way!” Ondo called. “Let me see what all’s going on.”

The townspeople recognized the voice of their leader, and soon an opening was made for him. He stepped up and saw a young girl standing before him. She looked more or less unarmed, and even had a bright defiance in her eye. But there was definitely something about her that seemed... off.

Maybe it was the subtle aura about her. Or maybe that little creature - Ondo presumed a Mogwai - sitting on her shoulder. Or maybe it was that strange object she held in her hand. Whatever it was, something about her struck him as odd. He looked to Ahab to see what the Mogwai thought, and was surprised by what he saw.

Ahab was starting at the girl with intense interest, as though he had never seen anyone more intriguing in all his life.

“Are you the leader of this settlement?” The girl asked Ondo directly.

“I am,” he replied, “and my name is Ondo. What’s yours?”

“Nyria, though you can just call me Nia. I need a place to hide.”

Ondo’s eyebrow lifted. “That’s a rather odd request there, Nia.”

“It’s extremely important,” she insisted. “Please.”

Before Ondo could answer, Ahab spoke up. “What are you?”

The question seemed to take the girl aback, and Ondo turned towards the Mogwai. “What do you mean? Is she a Mog? I’m usually pretty good at telling your kind apart from Humans, and she seems Human enough to me.”

“That is precisely my wonder,” Ahab went on. “She is not a Mogwai... but not quite Human, either...”

Ondo turned to the girl with suspicion. “Well Nia, care to explain yourself?”

“I,” she hesitated now, and a bit of that fire went out of her eyes. After a moment, she seemed to recover, and faced them both with renewed determination. “I’m a Human, I promise. But that’s the reason I need someone to help me. I... I’m not normal. Not anymore, anyway. And there are Mogwai who are looking for me. I can’t go back with them. I won’t. So please, let me stay here, even if for just a little while.”

This was entirely more than he’d been expecting. Ondo scratched his head, unsure of how to proceed.

“What do you mean that Mogwai are looking for you?” Ahab pressed.

“I escaped from them,” Nia answered with a shrug. “They were holding me prisoner. Kind of.”

“Kind of?” Ondo sighed as his exasperation rose. “Listen kid. You need to start talking sense with me, or we aren’t going to be able to make things work. This vagueness isn’t doing you any favors.”

The girl growled in apparent frustration and tousled her own hair with one hand. “It’s this, ok? This is what they want!” And she held out the strange object she held. “I don’t even really know what it’s for, but they stuck it on me and they wouldn’t let me go as long as I have it!”

“So why don’t you just get rid of it?” Ondo wondered.

With another grumble, the girl hurled the object as far as she could out into the woods. Sunlight gleamed across its metallic surface as it arced through the air and disappeared into the brush. Nia turned back to them and held out her empty right hand. A few seconds passed, and then, in a burst of flame, the object reappeared on her palm.

“Because. I. CAN’T.” She stated, anger clearly rising with each word. “You’re the first Humans I’ve seen in weeks and I thought I might finally have someone I can turn to. But if you’re not going to help me, then I’m just going to look for help someplace else.” She turned and started to trudge away.

Ondo closed his eyes. He had been surprised by strangers before...

“Nia, wait!”

She stopped and turned back towards him.

“We’ll take you in,” Ondo stated, “but on two conditions.”

“Alright, name them.”

“First, you stay with me and my family. I want to be able to keep an eye on you myself, and it’s probably the safest part of town.”

“Alright,” Nia said with a frown. “What else?”

Ondo smirked. “You earn your keep while you’re staying with us. I hope you know how to work.”

Nia’s frown quirked up just slightly. “Alright. I think I can do that.”

“You,” Ondo pointed to one of the townspeople standing close to hand, “take her to my house, would you? And get her something to eat. Tell my wife I’ll be there soon.”

“Yes, sir!” The woman nodded, then approached Nia. “This way, if you please?”

Nia nodded and allowed the woman to guide her away. She cast a final glance at Ondo before turning ahead. And there was gratitude in her eyes.

_I just hope I’m not making a mistake._

“You are a kind man, Ondo,” Ahab said, “though time will tell if you are a wise one.”

“Oh, I have no illusions about that,” Ondo rubbed the back of his head. “But a little recklessness was the only thing that got me back home, so I think I’m willing to take another risk.”

Ahab nodded. “I suppose I should not complain. It was such a disposition that welcomed me into your midst.”

“Well, this ‘Valiant Company’ you claimed to represent seemed promising enough. And if you turned out to be a good choice, maybe she will, too.”

Ahab stroked his beard thoughtfully. “We shall see...”


End file.
